I have been wanting to get on here and post about all that has been going on around here, but I just haven't seemed to find the time to actually sit down, relax, and focus on it. Last week was a pretty busy week with work and activities here at the house. Nothing big, but always something. Last week was my second week to work as a nurse OFF orientation! It's been great and I've thoroughly enjoyed working independently. I worked weekend before last, so when I got off work on Sunday, I caught a quick (4 hour, haha) nap then we headed out to Oak Mountain to enjoy a beautiful day. After Norah settled down, she Loved being out there! I think she will love our camping trip coming up in a few weeks. This past weekend, the weather Saturday was gross, but we still managed to enjoy time with friends, and Norah got to tag along for Andrew's birthday celebration at Leakhena's mom's house. We had a great time. Sunday we enjoyed the gorgeous day and got to enjoy a great church service as the sun went down. We are enjoying our time together lately, and Jake and I have enjoyed planning for upcoming trips this summer. Jake is really wanting us to get into backpacking, so in a few weeks we are going to rent some equipment from UAB rec center and try our hand at a weekend of backpacking. If we like it, we are thinking about investing in some backpacks, and making it a more regular event. Maybe even enticing the family to join in on the fun! Jake and Andrew have talked about week long trips to some neat places, but I think Leakhena and I have a max of a weekend trip for now! HaHa! I think it's a girl thing. Anyway, we hope all is well with everyone! We hope you are taking moments to enjoy the simple things in life! Life's too short... With Lots of love and many blessings... J, K & N
Enjoy some pictures from the past couple weeks!
Oak Mountain State Park Jake Trying Out Our New Tent..Yes, in the Living Room Birthday Fun at the Thach House (Leakhena's Mom) The Spread... Norah Definitely Found a New Playmate! Norah was Definitely Worn Out by the Time We were Ready to Leave!! Poor Girl! HaHa!
There is nothing like Your love No exchange for all You gave To be welcomed into life So I can know the love that saves
Now forever to belong To walk with You for all my days Theres no greater love than this You are the Author and the Way
This is the sound of the redeemed Rising up to praise the King Our hope is in You This is the sound of the redeemed Rising up to praise the King
Singing glorious, glorious One You have saved us Honor and Power and Praise to the Savior. YOU are the Answer...YOU are the Answer!
What a great message tonight! Worship was wonderful and the message inspiring and profound. The power of God and the greatness of His works never cease to amaze me. I don't take the time to stop and be amazed nearly enough! The lyrics above are from the song "We the Redeemed" by Hillsong. A great song that proclaims the power of the Lord and the greatness of His name. HE IS THE ANSWER!! Pastor Chris quoted a verse tonight that has stuck with me. It's a verse I have heard dozens of times, but the Lord is such a neat God to allow us to see things with new eyes sometimes. The verse is from 1 John 1:9 and it reads..."If we confess our sins, He is faithful..." I know I often forget to thank the Lord enough for His faithfulness. Whether it be the business of life, or my lack of discipline to spend the time I have, worshipping my Father and praising His name for the good things He has done on my behalf. The good things He's done on behalf of a woman who should be giving him ALL she has because He deserves that much and more. I tell you, I am a sinner, saved by grace. Grace that comes from a Father that loves me for reasons I will never fully comprehend. Lately, my heart has been saddened by things I can't control, and admittedly, I have given into fleshly emotions of anger and bitterness. I have allowed those feelings to control my reactions, and I can say that I haven't handled some aspects of my life, as of late, the way I would have liked. Fortunately for me and my sinful self, the Lord is always waiting at the door of my heart to take his rightful place, and the precious Holy Spirit is waiting to embrace me, hold my hand, and lead me in the ways of the Lord. I am constantly amazed at the handy work of the Lord...that He would know we would need Him so desperately, and that we would need Him in so many different ways. We wouldn't just need to have an all-powerful God who is mightier than all things, but we would need a way to relate to him on a human level, every hurt, every emotion, every struggle...Jesus, He's got it. Then to know that we wouldn't just need the example of how to live, but we would actually need help here on earth to strive to be that example. We would need comfort, companionship, compassion, direction, that little fuzzy feeling on the inside, that little tug at our heart to convince us that we're on the right track or that we should act on an idea...the Holy Spirit. The book "The Shack" speaks of the being of the Holy Spirit and the way we interact with him so beautifully. The writer explains an encounter with the holy spirit like a presence in the room with you, not visible to the eye but felt by every inch of your body. A feeling that lightens your mood, takes a weight off your shoulders and gives you the warmth of a hug without ever physically touching you. A marvelously amazing gift, I'd say. I've rambled on to say that I believe it's good to vent sometimes and it's good to realize that we all are struggling with things in our own way. I know we will all face troubles in this life, and we will all have to deal with things we wished we didn't, but Jesus always has been, and always will be THE ANSWER. "Turn your eyes upon Jesus...Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace." Amen? Remember..."Confess...and He is faithful!"
One quick video for you to watch. My cousin recently sent me this video saying that it reminded her of our grandmother who went to be with Jesus 7 years ago this September. Can't believe it's been that long. We all miss her so very much. I think of her so often, missing her good lovin' and her sweet spirit that could brighten your day in an instant. She had a heart of gold and she loved the Lord with all her heart. She was a precious example of Christ and her love for others showed that. This video is a tribute video to the late Mrs. Ruth Graham (Billy Graham's wife). I pray we all are able to say, "you can take all of this world...but give me Jesus." May we always shine our light, that heavenly light of the Lord, to a dark world in need.
Be encouraged and uplifted always! Love Always Wins...J & K
Enjoy some sweet pictures of Norah girl! Boy, has time flown by! 6 weeks old 23 weeks old What used to be a spacious abode fit for a princess pup... A little cramped now, I'd say.. The Perfect Fleecy Peacoat for a Prissy Pup! "Big Girl in a Little Coat..." HaHa! She was so irritated with us for putting the coat on her, but it sure was funny!!
These are just a few shots to show everyone, and ourselves how big she's gotten. I think everyone else notices it way more than we do! HaHa! She's such a sweet girl, with loads of personality! Take care everyone!!
Jake, Norah, and I enjoyed a wonderful and relaxing weekend in Decatur with the family. We watched Kaleb play baseball AND basketball games. We haven't been able to watch any of his games yet ,so it was nice to be able to enjoy 2 games of each! We spent the rest of the time just enjoying the company. The weather was beautiful this weekend and Norah enjoyed playing with Jolie and she loves the attention she gets from everyone! We are still working on potty training, but she does very well when you pay her a lot of attention, but if you aren't looking for her cues...accidents. She does really well when we are home, but when she is out of her element, I think she forgets some of the rules. I am proud of her though. She's been doing pretty well with her barking, but will still challenge you and try to bark whenever she finds an opportunity. She is turning into a great dog though. She is just under 6 months old and seems to be maturing a little more everyday. Norah and I have started morning walks together. That's been a huge benefit to the both of us. She enjoys the time outside and I enjoy the exercise and the morning air. She's able to let out a little energy. She does well on her leash and is getting better about minding. She is still a nosey schnauzer though, and she loves to let out a little bark and run and greet everyone and every dog she sees! Sweet...but can get old fast! All in all, she is a sweet girl with tons of personality. She's grown so much over the past few months and we don't really notice it until we pull up the pictures from the first few weeks! Wow, how much she has changed. We are enjoying every minute, and we are looking forward to taking her on some trips this summer! Should be fun! We hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather! We sure are! I have been off work since last wednesday and I have taken full advantage of these beautiful sunny days! I start back to work tomorrow night so I am planning on enjoying a wonderful night at church tonight! A great way to end a week off work! We hope everyone has a great rest of the week! With Love Always from... J, K & Norah
A few pictures from the weekend and a few pictures of our sweet furry girl!
*Baseball*
A few pics of us! Miss Norah enjoying the outdoors and Miss Chloe Cat! Chloe absolutely loved teasing Norah! It was cute! **Pretty Girl** THE FAMILY
I have a few more pics I want to post later to show how big little girl is getting! I'm off to church now! Can't wait! Be blessed everyone!! Love, Love, Love....J & K
These are a few of my favorite things! Spring is definitely in full bloom and we are definitely in the spirit of fresh and new things around here! Jake and I have been busy in the flower beds and in the yard, gearing up for, what we hope to be, a wonderful summer! We love being outside and the weather lately has been gorgeous! We worked inside several weeks ago repainting the downstairs foyer and kitchen. After round two of color choices, we were very pleased with the results. It did wonders for the feel of the room! Amazing what a little paint can do! This past Easter weekend we definitely enjoyed the nice weather after the showers on Saturday! We ran around picking up a plentiful amount of flowers and we did a little grocery shopping too. We got most of our flowers from a nursery in Pelham. I told Jake that I could spend hours there, and I really think I could! There is just something very therapeutic to me about nature and flowers and gardening in general. I love it. Easter sunday we decided to attend one of the evening services at church to avoid the huge crowds that come for the typical sunday services. We played in the dirt all morning and afternoon. My back and legs were killing me by the time we were done, but I was still loving being outside and things are looking so nice out there. There's just something about the peacefulness of planting and being able to enjoy the work and the beauty of God's work that just put's me at rest. I have so much more to write about, but I'll post about them at a later time. Work is beckoning me...We hope that everyone is doing well and you all are enjoying the weather and the simple pleasures in life as much as we are! Be Blessed and Bless! With Love... J & K
